Indexed motion toy



Aug. 17, 1965 R. E. HUPP INDEXED MOTION TOY Filed Jan. 23, 1963 Willy!!! FIG. 5

INVENTOR. Ross E. HUPP adam @Z United States Patent 3,201,127 INDEXEI) MOTION TOY Ross E. Hupp, 4961 La Gama Way, Santa Barbara, Calif. Filed Jan. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 253,325 7 Claims. (Cl. 273-109) This invention relates generally to amusement devices and more particularly to a novel motion toy in which the movement of a member along a flexible medium is under control of one or more players.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide an indexing motion toy incorporating a flexible medium along which a member may travel wherein the member is detachable from the medium and yet is indexed thereto so that various maneuvers characteristic of separate prior art toys are realizable in one toy.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved type of indexed motion toy which may be extremely economically produced and yet which operates with extraordinary precision.

A better understanding of the preferred embodiment of the invention as well as further features and uses thereof will be had by now referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the basic components making up the motion toy;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view illustrating one type of handle which may be employed with the toy;

FIGURE 3 is a cross section of the film secured to the handle of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of one type of rotary member;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view illustrating a first type of extending means;

FIGURE 6 illustrates a modified rotary member provided with a second type of extending means; and,

FIGURE 7 shows a modified holding means which may be used in lieu of the handle of FIGURE 2.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is shown a rotary member 10 provided with sprocket teeth 11 and 12 adjacent its ends, respectively. These teeth in turn are arranged to index in sprocket holes 13 and 14 along opposite longitudinal edges of an inextensible flexible strip 15. Preferably, the strip 15 constitutes used motion picture film which is readily available in large surplus quantities. The ends of the rotary member 19 terminate in enlarged diameter flanges 10a and 16b which extend radially beyond the sprockets 11 and 12 so that should the rotor 10 strike the ground or another object, the sprocket teeth 11 and 12 will be protected.

With the above-described arrangement, the rotary member 10 may roll along the film 15 without any relative slippage occurring therebetween in view of the indexing of the sprocket teeth 11 and 12 in the sprocket holes 13 and 14. The actual physical movement of the roller is achieved by one or more players stretching the film 15 to vary the tension and thus enable varying of the slope in such a manner as to cause the rotor to roll by gravity along the film. Because of the close tolerances in the film sprockets as well as the sprocket teeth on the rotary member 10, a very smooth rolling action is achieved, and the movement of the rotary member itself may be carefully controlled by varying the slope and tension in the In order that the ends of the film may more easily be held by players, the invention contemplates the provision of novel handle structures. Thus, referring to FIGURE 2, one such handle structure is illustrated as comprising a single integral plastic handle member 16 having a bifurcated head defining arms 17 and 13 between which there are provided flat members 19 and 20. These members are spaced in parallel relationship between the arms 17 and 18 to define a central slot 21 and a rear edge 22. The arrangement is similar to a friction type belt buckle so that the end of the film illustrated at 15 in FIGURE 2 may be inserted beneath both of the members 19 and 2t and brought up over the edge 22 and thence downwardly through the slot 21.

In order to insure securement of the film to the handle, there may additionally be provided a clip structure such as indicated at 23 and arranged to clip over the edge 22 and thus clamp the folded film portion thereto.

The above arrangement can better be seen by referring to the cross-section of FIGURE 3 wherein the folding of the film about the handle for securing the end of the film thereto as illustrated.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a preferred rotor construction. Thus, the rotary member 10 itself may comprise plastic provided with a central bore 24 having pointed lands 24 as shown for frictionally receiving a Weighted slug 25. This Weight incorporated Within the plastic rotor Will increase its amount of inertia to provide a smoother rolling action.

FIGURE 5 illustrates an additional feature which may formpart of the over-all combination. In FIGURE 5, there is provided an extending means in the form of a fork structure 26 having fork arms 27 and 28 terminating in bearing pins 29 and 3t] engaging central depressions in opposite members of the rotary member 10. From the central portion of the fork 2.6, there depends a further extension terminating in a striking member 31. With this arrangement, the rotary member 10 may roll along the film 15 with the fork structure 26 executing a translatory motion with the rotor, the striking member 31 depending downwardly at all times. A player may thus attempt to manipulate the rolling member 16 so as to pass close to a target such as the member 32 which may stand up on a floor or other surface. Striking of this target by the striking member 31 would then count as a point for a player in his manipulation of the rotary member 10.

FIGURE 6 shows a modified rotary member 33 having laterally extending end caps 34 and 35 which may serve as an extending means for striking a target such as 32 as shown in FIGURE 5.

For economic reasons, the toy in some instances may be packaged and sold without handles such as shown in FIGURE 2. In such case, the film ends may be readily held by forming a loop. Thus, referring to FIGURE 7, the end portion of a film 36 may be looped over as at 37 and the extreme end 38 secured to the film as by means of a pressure sensitive tape 39. Preferably, the tape may comprise a label from the original package which may be removed and placed to secure the loop of film. To hold the end, a player would simply insert his finger in the loop 37.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that many different types of games may be played with the basic components described. Thus, two players normally would be provided with handles such as illustrated in FIGURE 2 and the opposite ends of the film 15 secured to the handles. Alternatively, the film could be held by the loops described in FIGURE 7. The players may then vary the tension in the film as well as the level of the ends of the film so that the rotary member 10 will roll back and forth between the players. As stat-ed, the novel indexing feature will insure that the rotary member will remain on the film even if the film is tilted to bank the roller as it moves.

In addition to a simple game between two players, one player might permanently secure one end of the film to a stationary structure and employ a'handle or loop to manipulate the other end of the film and vary the tension 3 thereon. Thus, he may roll the device back and forth by himself.

In either modes of play as described above, additional extending means may be provided as described in conjunction with FIGURES 5 or 6 to strike various objects stationarily positioned with respect to the rotary member it).

Since used commercial motion picture film is available in large surplus quantities relatively economically, and since'the rotary member itself may readily be manufactured from simple plastic and suitably weighted as described, the overall motion toy is extremely economical to produce. On the other hand, it is precisely constructed to close tolerances so that a high quality motion toy results.

Minor modifications falling within the scope and spirit .of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art. The indexed motion toy is therefore not to be thought of as limited to the exact embodiment set forth merely for illustrative purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. A motion toy comprising, in combination: an elongated substantially inextensible, flexible strip having first and second rows of sprocket holes along its side edges respectively, at least one end of said strip being adapted to be held by a player; and a rotary member adapted to roll on one surface of said strip, said member having first and second circumferentially disposed sprocket teeth for indexing with said first and second rows of sprocket holes to prevent slippage between said member and said strip when said member is in engagement with said strip.

2. A toy according to claim 1, including extending means coupled to said member for translatory movement with said member along said strip; and target means stationarily positioned relative to said member whereby said member may be caused to travel closely to said target means so that said extending means strikes said target means.

3. A toy according to claim 1, in which said rotary member is formed of plastic material incorporating a weight in its central portion to provide a large moment of inertia.

4. A toy according to claim 1, including handle means for securement to the ends of said strip to facilitate holding of said strip.

5. A toy according to claim 1 in which said rotary member has end flanges of enlarged diameter to extend radially beyond the ends of said sprocket teeth, said strip being adapted to be received between said end flanges.

6. A toy according to claim 5, in which said rotary member is composed of plastic material incorporating a weight to provide a relatively high moment of inertia.

7. A toy according to claim 5, in which said rotary member includes end caps secured to said end flanges and extending laterally to provide an extending means to strike a target.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT 1,346,985 7/20 Sonoda 46-216 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,773 1897 Great Britain. 930,015 7/55 Germ-any.

RICHARD C. PINKHAh I, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MOTION TOY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY INEXTENSIBLE, FIEXIBLE STRIP HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ROWS OF SPROCKET HOLES ALONG ITS SIDE EDGES RESPECTIVELY, AT LEAST ONE END OF SIAD STRIP BEING ADAPTED TO BE HELD BY A PLAYER; AND A ROTARY MEMBER ADAPTED TO ROLL ON ONE SURFACE OF SAID STRIP, SAID MEMBER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPOSED SPROCKET TEETH FOR INDEXING WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROWS OF SPROCKET HOLES TO PREENT SLIPPAGE BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND SAID STRIP WHEN SAID MEMBER IS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STRIP. 